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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: mine · chest · patient · rush · cell · drill · can · nail

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chest — a box
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chest — of your body
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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