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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: land · mouse · kick · cell · hide · fine · prune · patient

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kick — in football
  4. cell — a phone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — a country
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in biology
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — to come down
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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