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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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 — a sick person
  2. bear — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stock — shares
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fall — the season
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stock — goods
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fall — to drop
  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