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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 120 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: calf · patient · object · snap · rock · row · field · mouse

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. snap — to click
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — a line
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. field — farmland
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. object — a thing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — a subject
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — music

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