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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.

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: straw · bound · mouse · saw · cabinet · patient · mark · mug

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — a face
  10. mark — a trace
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mug — to rob
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a grade
  24. saw — the tool

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