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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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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. firm — decided
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kick — in football
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. firm — a company
  15. field — a subject
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — steady
  18. present — there
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. present — a gift
  23. field — for sport
  24. lean — thin

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