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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 116 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
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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: mine · rock · rest · hide · fan · patient · lash · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — a break
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — the amount
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rest — what's left

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