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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — a company
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — employees

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