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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. capital — money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hand — help
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. capital — a city
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wound — an injury
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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