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

Word bank: patient · chest · fork · arm · cabinet · board · kid · firm

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — to tease
  6. firm — a company
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fork — in a road
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — steady
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. firm — decided
  24. arm — part of the body

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