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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. file — a document
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tube — the underground
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — to crush
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. file — a tool
  23. stand — to bear
  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