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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.

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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: lie · patient · chip · hide · ball · degree · current · squash

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ball — a great time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chip — for betting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. current — electric

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