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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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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — child
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kid — to tease
  17. club — for golf
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. row — a line
  24. club — a group

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