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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — a price
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lean — to bend
  10. charge — in control
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — in football
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — electricity
  23. can — to be able to
  24. patient — a sick person

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