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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 116 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: rock · rash · patient · wound · calf · wave · mine · ball

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — a series
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wave — of the sea
  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