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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: patient · current · lash · cabinet · arm · tear · suit · mouse

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — of water
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — to rip
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — electric

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