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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. land — ground
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of law
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. court — of a king
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. land — a country
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. land — to come down
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. court — for sport

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