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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
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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: bear · cap · sharp · toast · patient · fall · calf · pitcher

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cap — a hat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — bread
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fall — to drop
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fall — the season
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — a young animal

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