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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — a song
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bass — low music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. shower — rain
  24. calf — a young animal

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