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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: stem · pound · board · tear · hand · patient · plane · season

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tear — to rip
  3. season — of the year
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — a tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — to get on
  24. pound — a weight

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