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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. firm — a company
  10. kid — child
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. file — a tool
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. track — a path
  15. root — the cause
  16. firm — steady
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — to keep track
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. track — a song
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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