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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. craft — boats
  4. last — final
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — a grade
  8. last — finally
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. last — to go on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a trace
  20. craft — a skill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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