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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kick — in football
  5. board — a committee
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — to get on
  15. rush — hurry
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a ring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a music group
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — with a leg

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