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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: cap · patient · mouse · rush · hide · charge · kid · bowl

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cap — a hat
  4. kid — to tease
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — child
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — in control
  24. patient — a sick person

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