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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 · patient · lean · cabinet · root · pitcher · chip · hide

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — to bend
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. root — of a word
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. root — the cause
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chip — for betting
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — to keep secret

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