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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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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: bear · patient · suit · cabinet · mouse · cue · chest · stand

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — to bear
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chest — a box
  24. mouse — the animal

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