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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.

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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: jam · wind · patient · racket · firm · fall · calf · land

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — a company
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — ground
  7. fall — the season
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — steady
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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