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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 · drill · patient · wound · pit · fine · last · hide

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — finally
  9. drill — the tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fine — all right
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. last — final

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