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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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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 · face · ruler · lash · perch · patient · land · cap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — to confront
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. land — a country
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. land — ground
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — of ice
  21. land — to come down
  22. face — part of the head
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. perch — the fish

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