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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cell — in biology
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — a phone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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