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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cap — a hat
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. calf — a young animal

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