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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · kid · fine · prune · can · bark · mate · trunk

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mate — to breed
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mate — a partner
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fine — all right
  14. kid — child
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. can — to be able to
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — a friend
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fine — high quality

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