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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: game · patient · stem · nail · spring · safe · cabinet · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — the season
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — wild animals
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — a coil

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