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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.

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 · mate · tear · rash · fine · wake · patient · stock

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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