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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — to sink
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — employees
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — help
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hand — in cards
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. staff — a stick
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — letters

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