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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. drill — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a line
  8. spring — of water
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. face — to confront
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. drill — army training
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spring — the season
  24. rash — a series

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