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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. club — for golf
  4. pit — a hole
  5. club — a group
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. face — to confront
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. kick — in football
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pit — in a race
  23. last — final
  24. leaves — of a tree

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