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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for golf
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. club — for dancing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — a group
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — a container

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