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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 120 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: present · cabinet · face · safe · patient · pound · row · hand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — in cards
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. face — to confront
  8. present — a gift
  9. row — a line
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. row — to paddle
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — help

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