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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: cabinet · patient · swing · hide · dip · fork · ball · row

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. row — a line
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — music
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — to paddle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. swing — to play on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — to eat with

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