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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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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: wave · wake · content · lie · kick · leaves · lash · patient

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. content — the amount
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — a trail
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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