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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 120 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
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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: plane · kid · patient · dip · squash · straw · press · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — to crush
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kid — child
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. squash — the sport
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. dip — to dunk

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