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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · calf · bark · patient · date · key · press · fan

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bark — to shout
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. press — to push
  23. key — for a lock
  24. press — a publisher

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