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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: foot · present · season · mark · shower · mouse · patient · kick

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — of the year
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kick — in football
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — a grade
  14. present — there
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — a thrill

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