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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · calf · mouse · race · patient · plane · mine · mug

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. race — the arms race
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. file — a line of people
  11. race — a contest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a document
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — a face
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. calf — a young animal

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