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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. scale — size or range
  5. clip — to cut
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lean — thin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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