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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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Word bank
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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: patient · trunk · land · rock · lash · plane

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — a stone
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — ground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — to come down
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. land — a country
  18. trunk — of a car

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