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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — a break
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — crushed
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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