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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fine — all right
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mark — a trace
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — a country
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to drill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pit — in a race
  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