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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.

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 · straw · capital · bear · mug · patient · field · fine

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — money
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. field — a subject
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. field — farmland
  8. plane — a tool
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fine — all right
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mug — a face
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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