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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: cabinet · chip · patient · bear · coach · net · lash · chest

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chest — a box
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — after costs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. net — in sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. net — for catching
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — to put up with

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