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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — there
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — low music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. present — a gift

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