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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. court — of law
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. mug — a face
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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