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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · bark · mug · kid · pit · last · patient · can

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. last — to go on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — final
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kid — to tease
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. plane — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mug — a face
  22. kid — child
  23. bark — to shout
  24. last — finally

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