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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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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 · ball · key · hide · patient · jam · cold · snap

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — in music
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. key — for a lock
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — not warm
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a great time
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cold — an illness
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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