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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. cell — a phone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in biology
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. board — a committee
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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