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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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Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spell — magic
  16. season — in sport
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. spell — letters
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kick — in football
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — a short time

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