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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · hide · jam · lean · bat · kick · patient · tube

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. scale — in music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — thin
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. kick — in football
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. scale — size or range

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