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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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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — a break
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — boats
  19. toast — bread
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. arm — part of the body

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