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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. can — to be able to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. root — of a word
  9. can — a tin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mine — for digging
  12. root — of a plant
  13. deal — to handle
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mug — a face
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — the cause
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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