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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 · rock · patient · cap · rule · foot · mate · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cap — a lid
  22. plane — a tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cap — of ice

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