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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. staff — employees
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. last — finally
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. staff — employees
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. bass — low music
  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