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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: last · hide · mate · wound · race · calf · plane · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. last — to go on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — finally
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — a friend
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. plane — a tool
  19. last — final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. race — a contest

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