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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. last — finally
  24. pit — in a race

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