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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 116 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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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: march · fork · hide · bowl · row · patient · rule · wave

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. rule — a law
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a line
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rule — government
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. patient — a sick person

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