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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. staff — employees
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of a king
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. staff — a stick
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kick — in football
  22. court — for sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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