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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — hurry
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the fish

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