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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.

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: plane · pass · patient · deal · wax · hand · hide · stem

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hand — help
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pass — a permit
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stem — to come from

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