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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 120 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: plane · lie · patient · hide · swing · stand · bulb · chair

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — to play on
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — for spectators

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