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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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 — calm and waiting
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. staff — employees
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rock — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — rain
  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