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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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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: wound · net · prune · patient · wave · suit · bat · trunk

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. prune — to trim
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. net — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. bat — the animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — to fit
  24. prune — to trim

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