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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — a line
  4. lean — to bend
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. object — an aim
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. row — to paddle
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — in football
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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