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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — there
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — a gift
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — the time now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. trunk — of a tree

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