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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kid — child
  15. pop — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — letters
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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