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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chest — a box
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — soda
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pop — to visit
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chest — of your body

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