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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: patient · roll · capital · lie · pound · hide · plane · present

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. present — there
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. capital — a city
  9. present — the time now
  10. roll — a list
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. present — a gift
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — money
  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