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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
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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: trunk · kid · wake · ground · swing · can · calf · patient

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — a position
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — to play on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kid — to tease
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ground — the earth
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kid — child
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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