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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — a weight
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — in football
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. game — a match
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bear — the animal

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