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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.

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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: cell · patient · ruler · calf · lie · squash · court · stick

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of a king
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of law
  23. squash — to crush
  24. calf — of the leg

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