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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: deal · hand · lean · kick · fall · current · nail · patient

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. lean — thin
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — happening now
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to bend
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — electric

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