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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: net · clip · patient · arm · bear · cabinet · wave · deal

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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