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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: patient · snap · vault · trunk · pitch · wave · spell · fan

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to click
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — letters
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. trunk — of a tree

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