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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rush — hurry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a round shape
  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