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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 116 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: wind · bowl · kick · deal · bat · patient

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. deal — to handle
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. kick — in football

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