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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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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: stem · chip · dip · suit · patient · kick · hide · tear

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chip — to eat
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kick — in football
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — to rip

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