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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 · bark · cold · racket · safe · chip · cabinet · patient

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — to eat
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — animal skin

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