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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — a partner
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — in golf
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a friend

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