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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mug — a face
  13. hand — help
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — a container
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — a series

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