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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. suit — clothes
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pop — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pop — soda
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — a break
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rest — what's left

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