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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pit — in a race
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. board — a committee
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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