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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — boats
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — the fruit
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — to recline
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — a committee
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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