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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
468
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: content · straw · stick · plane · patient · spell · fine · pass

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fine — high quality
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fine — all right
  5. spell — a short time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — magic
  10. content — happy
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — a tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — a permit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — letters

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