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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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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: swing · tear · cabinet · present · patient · deal · lash · cap

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. swing — in golf
  9. present — a gift
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. present — there
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. swing — music
  23. present — the time now
  24. tear — from crying

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