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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — hasty
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. root — of a word
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — the cause
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. season — of the year
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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