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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lean — to bend
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. net — for catching
  24. patient — a sick person

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