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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — a group
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — a match
  14. club — for golf
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. file — a document
  21. mate — to breed
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mate — a friend

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