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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · snap · shower · bore · bass · scale · patient · mate

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bass — the fish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. scale — in music
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. shower — rain
  20. snap — to click
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — low 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