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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: hand · bound · fork · chest · hide · plane · patient · ruler

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — in cards
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chest — a box
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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