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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: file · ground · lie · perch · patient · pop · hide · chip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. file — a tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lie — to recline
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — a position
  20. file — a document
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pop — soda

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