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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bore — to tire
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bound — tied together
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bound — certain
  12. rash — hasty
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rash — a series

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