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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. plane — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a signal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a line
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. shower — to wash
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pass — a permit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pass — to succeed

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