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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stock — shares
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — rain
  12. clip — for paper
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bank — of a river

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