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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rock — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — a stone
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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