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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: cabinet · last · track · fine · clip · kick · cap · patient

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — a lid
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fine — all right
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — final
  8. cap — a hat
  9. track — a path
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. clip — a video
  16. cap — of ice
  17. last — finally
  18. track — a song
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — to keep track
  23. last — to go on
  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