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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — in a race
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — a hole
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mug — a face
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — to get on
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bass — the fish
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bass — low music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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