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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: fall · lean · present · patient · cap · hand · rock · calf

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — the season
  5. cap — a hat
  6. present — the time now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. present — there
  12. lean — thin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rock — music
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — of ice
  24. hand — help

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