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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: bark · trunk · plane · board · patient · coach · stick · straw

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. board — to get on
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. plane — a tool

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