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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. march — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stand — for spectators

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