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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — a thing
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. object — an aim
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. object — to protest
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — a container
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cap — a hat
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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