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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pit — in a race

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