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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. net — for catching
  5. fall — the season
  6. last — final
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. last — finally
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. last — to go on
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. racket — for tennis

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