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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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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 · fork · cell · patient · kick · object · hand · fall

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cell — in biology
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hand — help
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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