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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. object — a thing
  5. capital — money
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. object — an aim
  16. pop — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — a phone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pop — soda
  21. root — the cause
  22. wake — a trail
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pop — to visit

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