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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — to wash
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rest — a break
  14. kid — child
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pit — a hole
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. kick — in football
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. shower — rain
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pit — in a race

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