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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rock — music
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. staff — a stick
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — to crush
  23. patient — a sick person
  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