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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bound — certain
  7. fall — the season
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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