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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 120 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: patient · ground · plane · foot · bore · hide · cell · file

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cell — a phone
  3. file — a tool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bore — to tire
  11. file — a document
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ground — crushed
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to drill
  24. patient — a sick person

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