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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — to visit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — to rob
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pop — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. snap — to click
  21. root — of a word
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mug — a face
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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