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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — a container
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. craft — boats
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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