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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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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: arm · temple · squash · cell · cabinet · present · cap · patient

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — a lid
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — a phone
  5. squash — to crush
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. cap — of ice
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — a gift
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. squash — the sport
  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