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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.

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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: nail · season · row · kid · patient · chest · pass · racket

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. season — in sport
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kid — child
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. row — a line
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a quarrel

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