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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: bore · toast · spell · bulb · calf · patient · ground · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. toast — bread
  5. ground — a position
  6. spell — magic
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spell — letters
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — crushed
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ground — the earth
  24. patient — a sick person

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