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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. swing — music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chest — a box
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mate — to breed
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. calf — of the leg

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