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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pit — in a race
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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