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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: lean · tear · staff · fall · wind · cue · kick · patient

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fall — the season
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lean — thin
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — from crying
  21. staff — employees
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fall — to drop

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