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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.

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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: scale · patient · bulb · bore · squash · fall · rock · plane

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. scale — size or range
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. squash — to crush
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bore — gave birth

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