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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.

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 · lash · shower · cabinet · wake · drill · patient · stand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — rain
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stand — to bear

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