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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: hide · plane · roll · bound · dip · patient · pass · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bound — certain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. craft — boats
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. craft — a skill
  23. roll — a list
  24. plane — in geometry

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