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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — magic
  10. lie — to recline
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spell — letters
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — in music
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — money

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