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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 · sharp · jam · patient · wound · roll · kick · can

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. roll — a list
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kick — in football
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. can — a tin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. roll — a cake

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