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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rest — a break
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — of water
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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