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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — certain
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. tube — in a tire

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