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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: mine · cabinet · patient · root · calf · chair · cell · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a word
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. patient — a sick person

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