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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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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: stick · wave · kick · patient · rash · bat · root · trunk

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. kick — in football
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. root — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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