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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: ground · plane · lash · bound · land · patient · hide · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — a position
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ground — crushed
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — to come down
  10. bound — certain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — a country
  13. game — a match
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bound — tied together
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — the earth
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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