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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 120 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: cabinet · squash · pop · leaves · mine · mug · land · patient

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a face
  24. leaves — to go away

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