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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · can · patient · pitcher · cabinet · stick · calf · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hand — help

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