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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · plane · mug · patient · cold · board · rest · trunk

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cold — an illness
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — a face
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cold — not warm
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rest — a break
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — a tool
  24. board — a committee

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