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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 120 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 · trunk · fork · hand · plane · mug · wind · mate

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. plane — a tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mug — a face
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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