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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. net — for catching
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fine — all right
  8. tear — to rip
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — after costs
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. net — in sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fine — high quality
  24. trunk — of a car

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