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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spring — a coil
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. firm — a company
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spring — the season
  11. bank — of a river
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. spring — of water
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — a position
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. snap — to click
  24. firm — steady

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