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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — a break

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