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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — shares
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — a country
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. stock — goods

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