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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — high quality
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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