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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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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: stick · ground · ruler · patient · calf · content · fall · wound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. content — the amount
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — a position
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — a young animal

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