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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: plane · craft · patient · bore · stock · lie · kid · wake

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kid — to tease
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. kid — child
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — to recline

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