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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mug — a face
  3. shower — to wash
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — a trail
  8. shower — rain
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rash — a series
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — to rob
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a cup
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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