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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — a container
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — the underground
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. game — wild animals
  17. kick — in football
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — to sink
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. staff — employees

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