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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · bound · file · rash · patient · hand · jam · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. file — a tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. file — a document
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bound — certain
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. hand — help
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com