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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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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: kick · patient · stick · cell · snap · arm

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. cell — in biology
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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