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

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — to get on
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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