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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — happy
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — for catching
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — the amount
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — after costs
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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