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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: lash · kid · mark · patient · fan · suit · hide · land

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a trace
  7. land — a country
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kid — to tease
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. suit — to fit
  22. land — to come down
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kid — child

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