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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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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: rest · patient · fan · foot · kid · object · leaves · dip

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to sink
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. object — to protest
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — a measure
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — a thing
  15. kid — child
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. object — an aim
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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