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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — to get on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. board — a committee
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — crushed
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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