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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: patient · mug · stick · temple · rest · content · shower · hide

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. content — the amount
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a cup
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — happy
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. temple — a place of worship

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