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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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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: tear · cue · safe · stick · trunk · patient · bulb · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — to rip
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cue — a signal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — a hint
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — out of danger

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