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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: hide · season · snap · mouse · wound · cabinet · patient · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. season — in sport
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mouse — for a computer

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