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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: calf · straw · mate · mug · file · wind · patient · lean

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — thin
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. file — a tool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mug — to rob
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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