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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lean — thin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — to bend
  14. field — a subject
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. safe — a strongbox

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