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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — for sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mate — to breed
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lash — to lash out

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