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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · patient · hide · stem · lean · fine · mine · dip

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stem — to come from
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mine — an explosive

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