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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — a break
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ball — a dance
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hand — in cards
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — a sick person

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