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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to tire

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