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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. chest — of your body
  8. game — a match
  9. bank — of a river
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chest — a box
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — an illness
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bank — for money
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cold — not warm

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