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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — to protest
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ball — a great time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. face — to point toward
  22. object — an aim
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — a garden tool

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