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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mug — a face
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kick — in football
  14. rock — a stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. clip — a video
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mug — a cup
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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