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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. press — a publisher
  13. clip — to cut
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — to push
  16. clip — a video
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lie — to recline
  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