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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 120 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: coach · cabinet · bark · safe · rule · tear · patient · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tear — to rip
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rule — government

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