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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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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 · content · patient · stand · arm · pit · wind · press

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. press — to push
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. press — newspapers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. press — a publisher
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. content — the amount
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. content — happy
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  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