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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: nail · bat · kick · patient · lean · dip · file · wave

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bat — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — in football
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — thin
  23. file — a tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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