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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: calf · clip · kick · cap · swing · bass · mouse · patient

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. swing — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. clip — for paper
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — a lid
  22. clip — to cut
  23. swing — to play on
  24. clip — a video

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