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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — in sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rash — hasty
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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