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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 116 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
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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: march · hand · patient · can · content · hide · fall · mouse

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. can — a tin
  17. march — the month
  18. can — to be able to
  19. march — music
  20. content — happy
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. content — the amount
  24. mouse — the animal

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