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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. track — a path
  3. present — the time now
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — there
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mark — a trace
  10. present — a gift
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — a song
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spring — the season
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spring — of water
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mark — a grade

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