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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: bark · trunk · cap · patient · pass · lash · sharp · bear

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cap — of ice
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cap — a hat

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