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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 · patient · perch · toast · hand · calf · wound · drill

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. drill — a practice
  16. hand — help
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — in cards
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — army training
  24. perch — for a bird

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