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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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. last — to go on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — finally
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — the tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. drill — army training
  23. last — final
  24. saw — the tool

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