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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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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. date — the fruit
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hand — help
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. safe — out of danger

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