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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.

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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: cold · patient · fine · pitcher · hide · pitch · fan · lean

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cold — not warm
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fine — all right
  10. lean — thin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitcher — a jug

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