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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. land — to come down
  10. court — of law
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — a break
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — to recline
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. court — for sport

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