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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.

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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: can · cabinet · squash · mate · wound · face · firm · patient

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — steady
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — to crush
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — a company
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — decided
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. can — to be able to

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