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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: deal · hand · board · suit · cap · patient · file · fine

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. file — a tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — all right
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a document
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. board — a committee
  18. file — a line of people
  19. board — to get on
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. deal — to handle
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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