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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
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: scale · bear · saw · hide · shower · patient · board · pass

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. scale — size or range
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. scale — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — to wash
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — rain
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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