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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. content — the amount
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the fish
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. roll — a list
  9. mark — a grade
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spell — magic
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. spell — letters
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bass — low music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. content — happy
  24. fan — a supporter

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