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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — a gift
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — there
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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