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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 120 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: pop · kick · calf · file · bore · patient · pit · cell

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — in biology
  5. kick — in football
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cell — a phone
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pit — in a race
  16. file — a document
  17. pop — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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