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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. last — finally
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to click

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