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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: last · file · patient · trunk · content · spell · pitch · calf

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — a short time
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. last — finally
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. last — to go on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. last — final

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