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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: land · hide · chest · calf · vault · patient · scale · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — a country
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chest — a box
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — to come down
  13. chest — of your body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hide — to keep secret

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