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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — from crying
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. key — in music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tear — to rip
  18. swing — in golf
  19. roll — a list
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to click
  22. roll — a cake
  23. swing — music
  24. key — for a lock

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