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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kick — in football
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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