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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 120 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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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: bear · cell · cabinet · nail · patient · firm · wound · prune

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. firm — a company
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — decided
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. prune — the fruit

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