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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: kick · lie · dip · patient · rash · bear · swing · net

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — to recline
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — in golf
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — a series
  13. swing — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — in football
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. net — in sport
  24. swing — to play on

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