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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a ring
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. calf — a young animal

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