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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: mark · coach · patient · hand · spell · cold · nail · plane

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mark — a grade
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — in cards
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — an illness
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a trace

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