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

Word bank: calf · pit · rule · lie · patient · jam · branch · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — a division
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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