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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — music
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. kid — child
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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