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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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468
Word bank
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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kick — in football
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — a series
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — hasty

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