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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cap — a hat
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spring — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rush — hurry

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