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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · trunk · ground · rash · mug · bank · mate

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — a position
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — a series
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bank — for money
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mate — a friend

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