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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: patient · lean · calf · wind · pass · stock · trunk · pit

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pass — a permit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pit — a hole
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. trunk — of a car
  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