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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a document
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — steady
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fall — the season
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — decided
  13. cold — not warm
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. firm — a company
  24. patient — a sick person

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