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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rule — a law
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. object — an aim
  13. rule — government
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — a coil
  19. object — to protest
  20. spring — of water
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. date — the fruit

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