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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lean — thin
  3. tear — to rip
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tear — from crying
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rash — a series
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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