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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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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: deal · calf · patient · fine · ground · cabinet · straw · saw

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — a position
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fine — all right
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — the tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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