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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — of ice
  8. object — to protest
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cap — a lid

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