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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tear — to rip
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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