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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: ball · swing · trunk · chest · kick · patient · bay · stem

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. swing — to play on
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kick — in football
  18. swing — music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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