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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. fall — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rule — government
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — of a king
  23. fall — to drop
  24. court — of law

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