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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — a series
  22. clip — a video
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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