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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — in cards
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — help
  9. swing — to play on
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. swing — music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. field — for sport
  18. current — of water
  19. field — farmland
  20. swing — in golf
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — a subject

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