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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: pit · patient · kid · staff · straw · saw · firm · bore

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kid — child
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. firm — a company
  15. pit — in a race
  16. firm — decided
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — steady
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — to drill
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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