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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: mug · patient · shower · plane · coach · cell · mate · game

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — a friend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — a phone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mate — to breed
  13. shower — rain
  14. cell — in biology
  15. game — wild animals
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a match
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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