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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · shower · wound · patient · hide · date · lie · root

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. root — the cause
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. shower — rain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — of a plant
  24. shower — to wash

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