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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. staff — employees
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — the season
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — steady
  11. craft — boats
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. firm — a company
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. craft — a skill

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