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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kid — child
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — a division
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kid — to tease
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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