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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chest — of your body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — of your body
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — to point toward
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chest — a box
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — to bear
  23. face — to confront
  24. spring — the season

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