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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · pitcher · calf · leaves · season · chip · patient · pit

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. season — in sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — of the year
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pit — a hole
  24. leaves — of a tree

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