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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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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: kid · pit · mate · fine · patient · wound · chest · saw

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kid — child
  3. chest — a box
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fine — all right

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