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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — there
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cell — in biology
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — a young animal

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