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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 120 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: hide · saw · mouse · cold · patient · arm · bay · spell

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — letters
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — magic
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. arm — a part of something

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