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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · land · squash · fine · patient · plane · mug · clip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mug — a face
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mug — a cup
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — to come down
  10. clip — a video
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — high quality
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. arm — part of the body

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