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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: bear · patient · hide · toast · arm · pitch · current · fall

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. fall — the season
  18. bear — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — bread
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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