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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: patient · calf · bass · saw · bound · rest · net · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. net — in sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — after costs
  24. rest — a break

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