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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — of the year
  6. current — of water
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. drill — army training
  11. lean — to bend
  12. row — a line
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — electric
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — a practice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — to paddle
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lean — thin
  24. current — happening now

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