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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rest — a break
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. court — of law
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a ring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — a supporter

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