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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — to breed
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a friend
  7. shower — rain
  8. kick — in football
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — a committee
  14. swing — to play on
  15. board — to get on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. swing — in golf
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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