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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 120 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: patient · bass · bulb · plane · spring · pound · straw · nail

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bass — low music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spring — the season
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bulb — of a plant

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