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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. roll — a cake
  16. present — there
  17. shower — rain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — the time now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. roll — a list

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