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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. present — there
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. object — to protest
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. present — a gift
  9. object — an aim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. present — the time now
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. season — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. scale — size or range
  20. season — of the year
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a car
  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