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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: rock · squash · fine · toast · object · hide · patient · shower

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. fine — all right
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fine — high quality
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — a stone
  21. toast — bread
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — a thing
  24. toast — the most admired

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