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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.

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
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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: hide · cold · craft · key · patient · rash · wave · mine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cold — an illness
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — boats
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cold — not warm
  24. key — for a lock

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