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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitch — completely
  7. land — to come down
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — ground
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. land — a country
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. shower — to wash
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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