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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. object — a thing
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. object — an aim
  24. tear — to rip

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