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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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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: patient · cap · arm · hide · mug · deal · bound · kick

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a face
  14. kick — in football
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mug — to rob
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. kick — a thrill

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