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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: hand · bank · patient · calf · pitcher · season · trunk · ruler

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. season — of the year
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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