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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: foot · saw · bowl · wave · hand · snap · patient · trunk

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — help
  3. snap — to click
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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