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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 120 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: calf · fan · foot · mate · cold · tube · patient · can

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. cold — an illness
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — not warm
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — to be able to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  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