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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 116 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. key — in music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. dip — to sink
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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