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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. pit — in a race
  3. craft — boats
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. track — a path
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a song
  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