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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — there
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — to come from

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