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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: wound · hide · root · cap · plane · straw · saw · patient

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cap — of ice
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. plane — a tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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