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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. tube — a container
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cell — a phone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cell — in biology
  22. tube — the underground
  23. saw — the tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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