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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. charge — electricity
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — a price
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a great time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chip — for betting

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