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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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. staff — employees
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — the cause
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pass — to spend time

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