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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 120 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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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: drill · patient · cue · bat · plane · cap · rush · wound

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rush — hurry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — army training
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cap — a lid
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cue — a signal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. plane — in geometry
  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