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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.

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: calf · patient · land · fan · hide · snap · wax · shower

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to click
  4. shower — to wash
  5. land — a country
  6. shower — rain
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wax — to grow
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. land — to come down
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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