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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: date · bank · patient · deal · tear · ruler · kick · cabinet

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. date — the fruit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — in football
  24. bank — of a river

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