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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. snap — to click
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. craft — a skill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — a thrill

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