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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. object — a thing
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — to bear
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. shower — rain

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