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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: ground · plane · lie · spring · squash · patient · racket · deal

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ground — a position
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — to recline
  12. squash — to crush
  13. spring — of water
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — to handle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — a tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lie — an untruth

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