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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · date · patient · squash · hide · tube · mine · plane

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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