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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 · hide · pound · rest · rash · ground · pitcher · tube

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tube — a container
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tube — the underground

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