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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: bark · pop · wave · jam · trunk · fork · patient · foot

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pop — to visit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — in a road
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. trunk — of a tree

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