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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — in a road
  7. staff — a stick
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. deal — to handle
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — in football
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lean — to bend

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