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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: patient · dip · mouse · fine · mate · trunk · lie · wound

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — all right
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — to recline
  24. dip — to sink

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