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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · present · cell · wax · chip · calf

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. present — a gift
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. present — the time now
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wax — to grow
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. present — there
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting

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