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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fine — all right
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rule — government
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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