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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.

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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 · bulb · toast · cold · patient · fork · craft · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — a stick
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. craft — boats
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cold — not warm
  22. toast — bread
  23. cold — an illness
  24. craft — a skill

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