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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. object — a thing
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — an aim
  14. club — for golf
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — a break

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