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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 · scale · arm · squash · mate · patient · cap · rest

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mate — to breed
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — a lid
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cap — a hat
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — a break
  24. scale — in music

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