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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — there
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — to sink
  6. land — a country
  7. tear — to rip
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. land — to come down
  10. tear — from crying
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — a gift
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bass — low music
  22. present — the time now
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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