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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hand — help
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hand — in cards
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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