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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — thin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. plane — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. drill — army training

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