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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 · patient · track · face · degree · season · bulb · mouse

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. degree — an amount
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — a song
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — a path
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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