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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 116 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: patient · lean · bowl · plane · cabinet · hide · lie · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — thin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. plane — in geometry

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