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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: suit · ball · key · hide · trunk · patient · cabinet · bound

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — clothes
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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