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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pass — a permit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. capital — money
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a ring
  24. suit — to fit

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