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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: band · hide · kid · plane · bore · patient · rule · branch

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. plane — a tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — government
  14. band — a ring
  15. bore — to drill
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — a law
  24. hide — to keep secret

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