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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: face · bay · fork · lean · can · hide · rash · patient

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. face — part of the head
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — in a road
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lean — to bend
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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