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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · tear · mug · wind · patient · hide

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mug — a face
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. tear — from crying

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