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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.

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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
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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: patient · bore · mine · perch · hide · hand · firm · degree

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. degree — an amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. degree — temperature
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hand — in cards
  18. degree — from a university
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — steady
  24. patient — a sick person

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