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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 116 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 · staff · row · mouse · patient · march · file · prune

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — a stick
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. file — a tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — the month
  15. row — to paddle
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — employees
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — a line
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. prune — the fruit

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