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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: chair · patient · pass · race · calf · leaves · wound · shower

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. chair — a leader
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pass — a permit
  11. race — the arms race
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. race — humankind
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — a contest
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. shower — to wash
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. calf — a young animal

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