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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: patient · deal · leaves · cabinet · sharp · chest · jam · court

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chest — of your body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — clever
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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