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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. roll — a list
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — temperature
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chest — a box
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rash — a series
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — a cake
  20. row — a line
  21. chest — of your body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rash — hasty
  24. patient — a sick person

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