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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a signal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. face — part of the head
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rest — a break
  19. tear — from crying
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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