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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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bass — low music
  5. last — final
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — to tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. last — finally
  17. bore — to drill
  18. last — to go on
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stand — on your feet

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