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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: kid · patient · hide · can · band · nail · club · net

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a music group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. can — a tin
  5. club — a group
  6. net — in sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. club — for golf
  14. kid — child
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — to be able to
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — to tease
  23. net — for catching
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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