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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: ruler · wound · mate · chest · court · cabinet · patient · hide

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chest — of your body
  4. court — of a king
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chest — a box
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — an injury

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