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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 116 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: sharp · fan · mouse · scale · kick · hide · patient · saw

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. sharp — clever
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kick — in football

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