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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: file · wound · pitch · patient · wax · staff · bound · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — obliged
  9. file — a tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a document
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — employees
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — certain

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