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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — in football
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hand — help
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — an aim
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — with a leg

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