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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rule — government
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. toast — bread
  12. bass — low music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — the fish
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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