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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: mine · track · calf · kick · bear · patient · fan · bowl

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a path
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kick — in football
  24. track — a song

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