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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: stick · hide · calf · bound · march · ball · clip · patient

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — music
  6. clip — a video
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — certain
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — obliged
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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