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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: plane · key · patient · bore · squash · rest · hide · rock

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rest — a break
  13. rock — music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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