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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.

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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — in football
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — the fish
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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