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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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