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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kid — child
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. capital — a city
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. safe — out of danger

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