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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: mark · ball · squash · hide · chest · suit · shower · patient

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chest — of your body
  3. shower — rain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mark — a trace
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — to fit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mark — a grade

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