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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: mine · cabinet · wind · roll · deal · safe · patient · lean

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a list
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lean — to bend
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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