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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: hide · deal · saw · patient · kick · foot · charge · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kick — in football
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. charge — in control
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. deal — to handle
  19. charge — electricity
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ground — a position
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. foot — a measure

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