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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a word
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. content — happy
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — the cause
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. content — the amount

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