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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · mate · kick · fine · patient · scale

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mate — a friend
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — in football
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mate — to breed

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