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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 120 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: squash · face · mine · bay · hide · patient · current · lash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — the sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to confront
  9. mine — for digging
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. current — electric
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — happening now
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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