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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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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. 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. hand — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — help
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — government
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — to get on
  23. bank — for money
  24. 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