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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
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: kick · ruler · snap · patient · season · fan · roll · staff

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — of the year
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — in football
  18. roll — a list
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. snap — to click
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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