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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rash — a series
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. can — to be able to
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — boats
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. shower — rain
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — on the skin
  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