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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 116 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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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: kick · trunk · lash · stem · patient · race · mine · pass

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. race — humankind
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stem — to come from
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kick — in football
  17. pass — a permit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — a contest
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pass — to succeed

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