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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: firm · tube · net · cold · patient · calf · arm · lie

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. tube — a container
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — not warm
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — for catching
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tube — the underground

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