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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · kid · branch · rush · mine · fork · patient · rock

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — child
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — to tease
  19. branch — a division
  20. rush — hurry
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fork — a garden tool

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