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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: cabinet · bank · lie · spell · game · cell · plane · patient

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spell — magic
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lie — to recline
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — letters
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spell — a short time

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