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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. court — of a king
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mate — a partner
  16. tube — a container
  17. mate — a friend
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. patient — a sick person

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