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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: kick · drill · charge · firm · straw · patient · rush · wound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. firm — decided
  15. charge — a price
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — a company
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. drill — army training
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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