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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pop — music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. craft — a skill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — boats
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chest — a box
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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