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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: cabinet · lie · rock · cold · craft · hide · patient · hand

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lie — to recline
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — help
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — boats

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