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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — a measure
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. staff — employees
  9. swing — music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a trace
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. swing — to play on
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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