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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chest — a box
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. firm — a company
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — to handle
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mug — to rob
  23. firm — decided
  24. net — after costs

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