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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. sharp — clever
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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