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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.

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: patient · dip · hide · perch · trunk · roll · net · stand

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — in sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. net — for catching
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. roll — a cake
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — on your feet

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