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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · press · patient · fork · bat · calf

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — the animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — to push
  18. fork — a garden tool

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