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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.

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: ball · patient · safe · shower · suit · bear · calf · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — the animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. suit — in cards
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — clothes
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ball — a great time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. shower — rain

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