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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: squash · hide · wave · patient · rest · sharp · object · chest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — to protest
  5. squash — to crush
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chest — of your body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. rest — a break
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — the sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. object — an aim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. patient — a sick person

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