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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: patient · calf · mine · board · nail · bear · chest · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. board — a committee
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chest — a box
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. mine — for digging
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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