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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. game — a match
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rule — government
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bowl — a dish

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