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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. field — farmland
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. board — a committee
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. content — the amount
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. suit — in cards
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — to fit

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