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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pop — soda
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bass — low music
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lash — an eyelash

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