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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — certain
  14. mate — to breed
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mate — a friend
  22. game — a match
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. leaves — of a tree

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