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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: plane · cell · patient · stand · hide · face · mouse · mark

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — to confront
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — the animal

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