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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: mug · fork · land · cabinet · rush · hide · nail · patient

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. land — ground
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rush — to hurry

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