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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — thin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. net — for catching
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chest — of your body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. firm — decided
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chest — a box
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a great time
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. chest — of your body

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