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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 116 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: dip · patient · fan · plane · mate · pass · coach · kid

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kid — child
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — a tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kid — to tease

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