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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rock — music
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — a short time
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — magic
  17. staff — a stick
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — for a hammer

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