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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · game · shower · cap · patient · key · mark · toast

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — bread
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — a match
  15. cap — a lid
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — in music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mark — a grade
  23. game — wild animals
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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