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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pit — a hole
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — to visit
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pit — in a race
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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