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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: patient · game · key · present · hide · can · land · cell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — a country
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — in music
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — wild animals
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. present — there
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — to come down
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — a gift
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cell — in biology
  20. game — a match
  21. cell — a phone
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. present — the time now
  24. land — ground

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