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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — boats
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — in football
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chest — a box
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. craft — a skill

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