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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. suit — clothes
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — of a word
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — ground
  7. chest — a box
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — to come down
  15. root — the cause
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. land — a country

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