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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: hide · coach · chip · patient · bass · calf · fork · plane

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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