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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: deal · court · pass · trunk · patient · plane · clip · date

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. court — for sport
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. court — of a king
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. court — of law
  14. clip — for paper
  15. plane — a tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — a permit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. clip — a video
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pass — to succeed
  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