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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tube — the underground
  5. sharp — clever
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — employees
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — employees
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. swing — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. swing — to play on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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