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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — steady
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. firm — decided
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. firm — a company
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. land — a country

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