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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. file — a document
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. file — a tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pitch — completely
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a line of people

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