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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — low music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — happy
  13. kick — in football
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bass — the instrument

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