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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: rush · net · patient · suit · pass · kick · prune · straw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. suit — to fit
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — for catching
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kick — in football
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — to hurry

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