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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: lash · hide · ground · suit · pit · patient · capital · plane

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — a hole
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. suit — to fit

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