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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — after costs
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. object — a thing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — in sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — to protest
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. object — an aim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — for catching
  24. arm — a part of something

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