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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.

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: patient · bass · dip · court · hide · arm · mark · stand

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. court — of law
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — of a king
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. court — for sport

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