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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cap — a lid
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cap — of ice
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — for betting
  23. band — a music group
  24. chip — in a computer

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