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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · bay · stock · patient · field · arm · hide · staff

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. staff — a stick
  3. field — a subject
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. staff — employees
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. field — farmland
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — shares
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. staff — employees

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