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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: patient · hide · mark · field · board · deal · swing · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — a subject
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — farmland
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. swing — in golf
  20. field — for sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — a big deal

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