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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 116 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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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 · ruler · patient · suit · mate · plane · wave · spring

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — to fit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — clothes
  16. spring — of water
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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