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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rush — hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stem — to come from
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — for sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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