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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 · club · face · patient · bore · stem · bound · capital

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. capital — a city
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. capital — money
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — part of the head
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stem — to come from
  23. club — a group
  24. capital — a big letter

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