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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 · wind · bat · suit · calf · bass · bear · spell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. spell — magic
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bass — low music
  24. bat — for baseball

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