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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: deal · patient · kick · spell · net · pass · lie · staff

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. net — in sport
  10. lie — to recline
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — for catching
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — letters
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spell — magic

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