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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 120 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pass — a permit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — a break
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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