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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 116 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: tear · drill · bark · patient · plane · season · lean · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chip — to eat
  10. season — of the year
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. drill — army training
  14. tear — from crying
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lean — thin
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lean — to bend
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. plane — a tool
  24. season — in sport

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