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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.

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: ball · cabinet · court · chip · face · hand · lash · patient

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ball — a great time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to confront
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — help
  13. court — for sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chip — for betting
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — in cards

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