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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 · current · cap · dip · content · patient · kid · staff

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — happy
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cap — of ice
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cap — a hat
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — of water
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — electric
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cap — a lid
  19. staff — a stick
  20. current — happening now
  21. content — the amount
  22. kid — child
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — a sauce

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