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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — a tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tube — a container
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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