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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — government
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — to recline
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. content — the amount
  9. hand — in cards
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — help
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — happy
  24. kick — a thrill

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