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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — in a race
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — in football
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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