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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — the underground
  6. last — to go on
  7. suit — in cards
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. scale — in music
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — final
  13. tube — a container
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. swing — to play on
  18. suit — to fit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tube — in a tire

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