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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. track — a song
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — army training
  10. track — a path
  11. mate — a partner
  12. drill — a practice
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wound — an injury
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mate — to breed
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. drill — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bound — certain

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