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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. march — the month
  12. chip — to eat
  13. march — music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. branch — a division
  20. chip — for betting
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  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