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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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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: patient · hide · suit · wind · row · pass · kick · nail

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — in cards
  3. row — a line
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pass — a permit
  10. suit — to fit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kick — in football

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