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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — there
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — hurry
  17. present — the time now
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — after costs
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. net — in sport
  22. current — of water
  23. present — a gift
  24. net — for catching

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