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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bass — the fish
  4. land — to come down
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — a tool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. land — a country
  20. bore — to tire
  21. land — ground
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — of a bank

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