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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cell — a phone
  9. kick — in football
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fork — in a road
  21. craft — boats
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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