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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bat — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chest — a box
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chest — of your body
  24. plane — an aircraft

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