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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wind — moving air
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — moving air
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — a straw man

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