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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. face — part of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — size or range
  13. board — a committee
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. face — to confront
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — to get on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lash — an eyelash

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