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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 120 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
468
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: hand · mug · hide · march · charge · patient · pitcher · firm

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hand — in cards
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — in control
  10. march — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. firm — a company
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. charge — a price
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. march — the month
  23. hand — help
  24. mug — to rob

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