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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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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: wave · pound · field · net · temple · hide · patient · fall

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. field — a subject
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fall — the season
  21. pound — a weight
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. net — for catching

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