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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: arm · mouse · patient · drill · deal · cabinet · firm · plane

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. drill — army training
  9. deal — to handle
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. firm — a company
  24. patient — a sick person

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