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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: kid · suit · object · root · last · patient · bass · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the fish
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — the cause
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. suit — in cards
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. last — finally
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. suit — clothes

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