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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.

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: swing · patient · hide · saw · cap · key · press · cabinet

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cap — of ice
  24. swing — to play on

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