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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. shower — rain
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — magic
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spell — letters
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spell — a short time

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