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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
468
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: land · can · arm · patient · kick · trunk · wave · saw

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. land — ground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — to come down
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. land — a country
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — in football

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