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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rest — a break
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — in football
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a match
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. leaves — lets stay

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