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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: bound · jam · shower · kid · patient · hide · object · sharp

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — a thing
  13. kid — child
  14. bound — tied together
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — certain
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kid — to tease
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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