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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — in football
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — thin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a lid
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. trunk — of a tree

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