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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: hand · patient · file · lash · clip · cue · root · cabinet

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — the cause
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cue — a signal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. file — a document
  12. hand — help
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cue — for pool
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — a video
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — in cards
  22. clip — to cut
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. file — a tool

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