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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — a container
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — the earth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ground — a position
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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