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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.

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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: pass · board · trunk · patient · last · cabinet · mouse · kid

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. last — finally
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — final
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. board — a committee
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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