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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rush — hurry
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — the time now
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — there
  17. mate — to breed
  18. face — part of the head
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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