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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. kick — in football
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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