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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
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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: hand · patient · lean · kick · bowl · pass · game · mark

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. game — wild animals
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mark — a grade
  6. game — a match
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. kick — in football
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hand — in cards
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pass — a permit
  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