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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: press · kick · charge · kid · patient · arm · drill · fork

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — in a road
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. charge — in control
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — in football
  13. drill — army training
  14. kid — child
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — newspapers
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. press — to push
  21. charge — a price
  22. press — a publisher
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — with a leg

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