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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fall — the season
  12. march — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — child
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. march — the month
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. calf — a young animal

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