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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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 — calm and waiting
  2. firm — decided
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. craft — boats
  7. cue — for pool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. firm — steady
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. sharp — clever
  16. present — the time now
  17. firm — a company
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cue — a hint
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  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