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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: pit · hide · pop · chip · patient · shower · mine · fine

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. shower — rain
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — all right
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pop — to visit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — high quality
  20. shower — to wash
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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