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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: lean · patient · plane · can · rush · wake · nail · pit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. plane — a tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — to bend
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — hurry
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pit — a hole
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — a trail

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