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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: wave · patient · hide · wound · hand · kid · ruler · season

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kid — child
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hand — help
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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