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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
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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: board · bear · dip · cabinet · patient · straw · file · scale

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. board — a committee
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. scale — size or range
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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