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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. tear — to rip
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — from crying

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