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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.

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: net · cue · saw · hide · bay · ball · patient · press

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. net — after costs
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. press — to push
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. net — in sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. net — for catching
  24. press — a publisher

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