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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · fan · cabinet · wake · patient · racket · bore · spring

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — a break
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — of water
  13. bore — to drill
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wake — a trail
  22. spring — the season
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spring — a coil

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