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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 116 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: dip · suit · ground · mine · present · trunk · tube · patient

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ground — the earth
  3. suit — clothes
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ground — crushed
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — there
  9. suit — to fit
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mine — for digging
  20. present — a gift
  21. tube — the underground
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. tube — a container
  24. ground — a position

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