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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. perch — the fish
  10. land — ground
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. land — to come down
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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