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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: kid · mouse · kick · rush · wave · last · patient · lean

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — child
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lean — thin
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. last — to go on
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to bend
  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