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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. present — a gift
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mug — a cup
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rash — a series
  21. present — there
  22. mug — a face
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. present — the time now

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