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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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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: pass · ball · march · patient · trunk · kick · dip · stick

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a dance
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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