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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: kid · toast · mate · patient · firm · roll · hide · bound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a friend
  5. firm — decided
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — bread
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. roll — a cake
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — certain
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. firm — steady
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mate — a partner
  22. firm — a company
  23. kid — child
  24. mate — to breed

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