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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: patient · current · season · pass · land · hide · dip · calf

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — electric
  23. land — a country
  24. dip — a sauce

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