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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: face · plane · patient · date · fork · club · hide · toast

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for dancing
  7. plane — a tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. toast — bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. face — to confront
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. club — a group

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