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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — magic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. court — of law
  10. stand — to bear
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. current — happening now
  14. mine — for digging
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — electric
  24. court — for sport

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