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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: board · patient · fan · arm · net · hide · land · object

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — to come down
  5. object — to protest
  6. land — a country
  7. object — a thing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. object — an aim
  12. land — ground
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. net — for catching
  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