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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 116 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: stick · dip · calf · fall · cabinet · degree · patient · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. dip — to sink
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. degree — an amount
  20. object — an aim
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — a thing

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