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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. bass — the fish
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — for sport
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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