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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 water is too ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. spring — a coil
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — of water
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spring — the season
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cue — a signal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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