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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 116 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. club — a group
  10. current — happening now
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. current — electric
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — of water

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