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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: season · rest · wound · hide · patient · pass · lash · spring

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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. wound — an injury
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — of the year
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pass — to spend time

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