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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — in a race
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chair — a leader
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. band — a ring
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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