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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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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: net · jam · fork · coach · trunk · hide · patient · wind

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — in a road
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — for catching
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — after costs
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fork — to eat with

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