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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: last · bat · kick · bowl · wind · lie · patient · firm

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wind — moving air
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kick — in football
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lie — to recline
  23. firm — decided
  24. last — final

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