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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. content — the amount
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. content — happy
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. board — a committee
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — to fit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. board — to get on
  24. wound — an injury

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