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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 120 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: bat · tube · trunk · bank · patient · ground · calf · prune

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tube — a container
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — crushed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — a position

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