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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: saw · stick · trunk · wind · kick · patient · ball · arm

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a great time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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