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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: patient · mate · plane · nail · bulb · rash · kid · last

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. last — final
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rash — a series
  9. kid — to tease
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — child
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — to breed
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. last — to go on
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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