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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.

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: patient · straw · last · mug · mate · race · trunk · bound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mate — a partner
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. race — a contest
  7. mug — to rob
  8. last — to go on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — obliged
  12. last — final
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. race — the arms race
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — a face
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. last — finally
  20. race — humankind
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bound — certain

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