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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spell — letters
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — a tin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — a coil
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spring — the season
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spell — magic
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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