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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — rain
  4. row — to paddle
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. row — a line
  17. shower — to wash
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pit — a hole
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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