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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. suit — in cards
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kid — child
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — the time now
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kick — in football
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — there
  21. kid — to tease
  22. firm — decided
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. present — a gift

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