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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 124 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: saw · hide · face · present · hand · pop · patient · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pop — soda
  12. hand — in cards
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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