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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fine — all right

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