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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: season · arm · firm · band · cabinet · kid · patient · lash

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. season — of the year
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — in sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. firm — a company
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. band — a ring
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — child
  17. firm — steady
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — decided
  20. kid — to tease
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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