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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. clip — a video
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — clever
  12. clip — for paper
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. toast — bread

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