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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 116 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: wound · hide · fine · patient · rule · cap · cabinet · wave

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fine — high quality
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fine — all right
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — a law
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rule — government
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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