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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · fan · arm · patient · deal · calf · mouse · pitcher

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. prune — to trim

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