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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: scale · wound · cabinet · mine · bore · trunk · patient · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mine — for digging
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. scale — size or range

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