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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fall — the season
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. root — of a word
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kick — in football
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kick — a thrill

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