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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. last — final
  9. scale — in music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fall — the season
  14. current — happening now
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — size or range
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — for weighing
  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