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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — a song
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rest — a break
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. staff — employees
  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