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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lie — to recline
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fine — high quality
  24. jam — a tight spot

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