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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. hand — help
  6. can — to be able to
  7. drill — army training
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — a list
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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