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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.

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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: wake · file · suit · spring · patient · bear · cell · hide

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. file — a document
  2. cell — a phone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a tool
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spring — of water
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spring — the season
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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