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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — to rip
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tear — from crying
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — tied together

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