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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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Word bank
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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — a break
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — to grow
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — rain
  14. key — the most important part
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — an agreement

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