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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · spring · stand · deal · patient · trunk · cap · chest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chest — of your body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chest — a box
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — of water
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spring — the season
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cap — a hat
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. toast — bread

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