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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.

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: cabinet · lash · patient · straw · prune · board · row · tube

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. board — a committee
  3. row — a line
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. board — to get on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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