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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 · wave · squash · patient · present · charge · bay · trunk

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — to crush
  4. charge — in control
  5. present — there
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — electricity
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. present — the time now
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. present — a gift
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. squash — the sport
  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