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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ball — a great time
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. present — a gift
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — magic
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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