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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spring — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — to rip

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