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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · kick · bound · sharp · lash · deal · chair · saw

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kick — in football
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. kick — a thrill

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