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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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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 · bear · perch · wound · rule · chip · wind · patient

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rule — a law
  24. chip — to eat

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