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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.

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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: squash · fan · band · suit · cabinet · pop · patient · lie

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. pop — soda
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. squash — to crush
  24. suit — clothes

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