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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.

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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: saw · date · season · rash · board · patient · calf · pop

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pop — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — the fruit
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — of the year

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