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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — a leader
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — the arms race
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. race — humankind
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. race — a contest
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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