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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: kick · land · snap · patient · mark · stick · pop · leaves

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. land — a country
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — music
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kick — in football
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to click
  20. pop — to visit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pop — soda

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