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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 · lean · bank · nail · deal · cell · cabinet · toast

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — thin
  9. toast — bread
  10. deal — to handle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — in biology
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lean — to rest against

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