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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 120 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: patient · firm · plane · wake · lean · ball · wound · kick

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — decided
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — steady
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. kick — in football
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — a company
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — before a funeral

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