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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. current — of water
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. current — electric
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — happening now

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