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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: patient · calf · board · cabinet · bore · spell · present · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — the time now
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — a gift
  9. board — to get on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. present — there
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bore — to tire
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. band — a music group

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