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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a line of people
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. shower — rain
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. file — a document
  17. kid — child
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hide — to keep secret

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