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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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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 · pop · arm · dip · club · rest · kick · patient

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. club — for golf
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pop — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pop — soda
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — help
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — to dunk

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