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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · patient · hide · trunk · cold · spell · land · board

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. board — a committee
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — to get on
  9. foot — a measure
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spell — a short time
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — to come down
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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