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

Word bank: bowl · mate · patient · hide · fall · toast

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — to breed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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