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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · can · cabinet · lie · patient · bay · spring · court

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — the season
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — a series
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of law
  8. spring — of water
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — of a king
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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