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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 116 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
468
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: game · hide · bear · stem · chip · club · patient · hand

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for golf

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