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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.

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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spring — the season
  6. stand — to bear
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. file — a document
  19. spring — of water
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pound — a weight

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