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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. object — a thing
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. object — an aim
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — for golf
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. club — for dancing
  18. row — to paddle
  19. club — a group
  20. row — a line
  21. object — to protest
  22. chest — a box
  23. dip — to dunk
  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