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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — of law
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — for sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — of a king
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. file — a tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. temple — a place of worship

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