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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bat — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fall — the season
  9. bass — low music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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