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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 116 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 · pitch · bear · kid · lie · lean · cabinet · calf

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lean — thin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kid — child
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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