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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 120 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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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kid — to tease
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — to bear
  17. root — of a word
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lie — to recline
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kid — child

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