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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mine — for digging
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kid — child
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. safe — out of danger

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