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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. ball — a dance
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — rain
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bat — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kick — in football
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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