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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. present — a gift
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. perch — the fish
  8. band — a music group
  9. charge — in control
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. present — the time now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — to tease
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a ring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — there
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. calf — a young animal

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