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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — happy
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. club — for golf
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. suit — to fit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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