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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: hide · nail · rash · bear · root · patient · scale · mine

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rash — a series
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. root — of a word
  16. bear — the animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hide — animal skin

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