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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.

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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: pit · stick · patient · row · press · coach · calf · spell

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pit — in a race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — letters
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — to push
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. press — a publisher
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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