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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · plane · trunk · bay · net · date · patient · stand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — the fruit
  5. present — a gift
  6. plane — a tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — there
  21. net — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — in geometry

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