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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 · jam · wind · coach · staff · ground · mate · plane

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — to breed
  7. staff — employees
  8. wind — moving air
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. staff — a stick
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mate — a friend
  24. coach — a trainer

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