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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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