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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — a thing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chip — to eat
  15. object — an aim
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chip — for betting
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — in a computer

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