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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tear — to rip
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. court — for sport
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — of a king
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. court — of law
  19. staff — employees
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. board — a committee
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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