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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: present · wound · patient · wind · mug · key · bass · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — low music
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kick — in football
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wound — an injury
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — moving air
  20. key — in music
  21. present — a gift
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wind — to turn a key

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