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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kid — to tease
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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