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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — a match
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of law
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — of a king
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stand — to bear

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