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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. board — to get on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — employees
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a ring
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. patient — a sick person

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