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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mark — a grade
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pop — to visit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. game — a match
  8. lean — to bend
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pop — music
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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