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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hide — animal skin

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