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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — to wash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pit — in a race
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a great time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a list
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — a hole
  24. staff — a stick

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