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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. plane — a tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — in football
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — to hurry

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