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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — in a race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bound — certain
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bound — obliged

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