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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. season — in sport
  9. mark — a grade
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — a trace
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. season — of the year
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — on the calendar
  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