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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ball — a great time
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — a hat
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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