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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: fall · patient · lean · deal · cabinet · calf · rock · mouse

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — the season
  6. lean — to bend
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lean — thin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mouse — the animal
  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