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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bear · pit · rash · calf · staff · bat · drill

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pit — in a race
  3. staff — a stick
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rash — a series
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. drill — a practice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. rash — hasty
  22. drill — the tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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