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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — of water
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fine — all right
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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