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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · patient · press · staff · charge · calf · pitch · plane

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. file — a document
  6. press — to push
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. staff — a stick
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — a tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. staff — employees

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