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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 120 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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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: pit · plane · rule · board · patient · cap · hide · cell

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cell — a phone
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — a law
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cell — in biology
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — a tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — government

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