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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. season — in sport
  3. spell — letters
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — thin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — after costs
  14. kick — in football
  15. chip — for betting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — hurry
  21. net — for catching
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. season — to add flavour

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