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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 124 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — finally
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — to come down
  7. net — in sport
  8. land — ground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. net — for catching
  12. rest — a break
  13. net — after costs
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. last — to go on
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. land — a country
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — final
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — all right

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