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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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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: calf · toast · kick · stick · patient · cabinet

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg

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