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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. staff — employees
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. staff — a stick
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee

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