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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: leaves · pound · calf · fine · game · patient · rash · bowl

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — a series
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fine — all right
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. game — a match
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. patient — a sick person

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