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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · mine · patient · content · wave · spell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. mine — for digging

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