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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. field — for sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. field — a subject
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. present — the time now
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. present — there
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cap — a lid
  16. field — farmland
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. 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