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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: can · tube · pitcher · cabinet · hand · patient · spring · lie

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spring — the season
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. can — a tin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. spring — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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