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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: march · nail · lie · kick · calf · pitch · cabinet · patient

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitch — completely
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — in football
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. march — music

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