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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 · track · can · cap · bore · patient · wake · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — a song
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. firm — decided
  8. track — a path
  9. cap — a lid
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — to keep track
  17. firm — steady
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — of ice

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