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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 120 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: tube · patient · rush · cold · craft · coach · hide · staff

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — boats
  11. cold — an illness
  12. staff — a stick
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cold — not warm
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. staff — employees
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rush — hurry

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