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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: wound · trunk · patient · coach · plane · vault · tear · kick

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tear — to rip
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kick — in football
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — an aircraft

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