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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: season · patient · mark · fan · fork · plane · coach · bulb

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. season — in sport
  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