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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: leaves · squash · patient · cabinet · ruler · kid · nail · object

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. object — an aim
  10. kid — to tease
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — the sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kid — child
  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