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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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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: bank · patient · lean · face · cap · cabinet · hide · fork

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lean — thin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — to eat with

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