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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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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: jam · club · patient · hide · pound · face · arm · spell

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. club — for golf
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — to confront
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — magic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. patient — a sick person

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