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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: wind · patient · file · calf · staff · lie · pitch · root

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a line of people
  5. root — of a word
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pitch — completely
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitch — a sports field

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