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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 120 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: kick · pass · object · arm · mine · patient · deal · bound

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — an aim
  7. kick — in football
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bound — tied together
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bound — certain
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — for digging
  21. object — to protest
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — an explosive
  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