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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: row · kick · rest · fan · pitcher · mate · deal · patient

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — in football
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mate — a partner
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. deal — to handle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — a sick person

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