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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.

Words on the sheet
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: scale · straw · rush · cap · patient · march · cabinet · calf

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. scale — in music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — a hat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. march — music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. scale — size or range
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — the month
  24. cap — of ice

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