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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.

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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. craft — boats
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. craft — a skill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. firm — a company
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — to go away

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