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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
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: patient · press · track · racket · can · wind · mate · calf

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mate — to breed
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — to push
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. track — a path
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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