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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — in music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — child
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bear — the animal

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