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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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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. charge — a price
  23. mate — to breed
  24. patient — a sick person

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