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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fine — high quality
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wave — with your hand

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