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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. last — finally
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. face — to confront
  17. last — final
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — rain
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — to go on
  24. face — to point toward

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